BA Drama and Theatre at Royal Holloway is about more than the stage. You’ll study how performance engages with big ideas like identity, politics, power, and protest.
Learn to analyse, question, and make theatre that responds to the world around you. Balancing creative practice with critical thinking, this degree equips you to grow as a confident, versatile artist – on stage and beyond.
In your first year at Royal Holloway, you’ll take part in our Skills Lab module, designed to give you career-focused learning from the start. You’ll take part in skills workshops by staff from across the university, on topics ranging from careers and academic skills to technical theatre and digital performance.
In your final year, you’ll apply your skills in industry-focused modules like Radio Drama and Theatre for Young People. These help you reflect critically and prepare for your next steps.
Launch your career in areas such as theatre, TV, education, arts management, cultural policy, and teaching.
We sometimes make changes to our courses to improve your experience. If this happens, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.
Head to the link to read more!
Head to the link to read more!
This course offers a dynamic combination of practical and theoretical study. With a focus on collaborative, contemporary performance, you’ll investigate different types of professional practice and actively engage with the cultural industries locally, regionally and internationally.
You’ll develop your own creative practice within small groups at our specialist studios, based in our on-campus professional theatre, stage@leeds. You’ll have the opportunity to work with external partners and community groups which may include: Leeds Playhouse, Opera North and local theatre companies, schools, galleries, museums and institutions within the criminal justice system.
Head to the link to read more!
At Kent, you will develop your individual voice and hone skills to express yourself creatively through performance.
Whether you want to be a stand-up comedian, actor, director, writer, producer, choreographer, or set designer – or even start your own theatre company – you’ll have the opportunity to explore your passions at Kent.
With a wide range of topics including acting, community theatre, musical theatre, puppetry, dance, stand-up comedy, and even alternative cabaret, there are plenty of opportunities to tailor the programme to your interests.
Theatre, drama and performance have the power to connect people, bring communities together and examine big issues. You’ll explore all this when you join our warm and inclusive creative community.
Our strong connections with industry and local arts venues will give you the chance to put your learning and creativity into action through placements, internships and other opportunities.
You can see shows and even take part in them at our fantastic on-campus venue, the Gulbenkian Arts Centre – which puts on an incredible programme of theatre, dance, music and film.
You can also take this course with a year in industry or year abroad.
Weekly open level acting classes in Camden for adults
Tuesday evenings - 7pm - 9pm - 21st of april to 23rd of june - NW3
Wednesday morning - 10am - 12.30pm - 15th April - 17th June - NW3
Friday morning - 10am - 12.30pm - 17th april - 19th of june - NW1
Pre book sessions with flexible booking
Pay what you like sliding scale - £10 - £30
contact - contact@furtherthantheedge.com or 0794168206
With school holidays offering many young people the opportunity to take part in creative activities, it’s often a time when interests grow, and future ambitions begin to take shape.
Whether a young person is already engaged in the arts or just starting to explore, there are many different pathways into a career in the creative industries. However, for many families, these routes can feel unclear or uncertain.
Recent research from Netflix and the National Youth Theatre found that 89% of parents from working-class backgrounds would be unlikely to encourage their child to pursue a career in the creative industries. Building understanding and confidence among parents and carers is an important step in helping more young people feel supported in exploring these opportunities.
Parents Unscripted is a new series from Discover! Creative Careers, created in collaboration with organisations across the creative industries. The series shares the perspectives of parents whose children now work in the sector, offering honest reflections on their journeys.
We’re proud to have collaborated on one of the films in the series, developed alongside Discover! Creative Careers and the National Theatre. In this film, Angela Jumbo, mother of actor and playwright Cush Jumbo, reflects on her child’s journey into the industry and shares her perspective as a parent.
You can watch the other films in the series here!
We know that when parents and carers feel more confident about creative careers, it can make a real difference to a young person’s ability to pursue them.
By sharing these stories, Parents Unscripted aims to open up conversations, challenge misconceptions, and highlight the many routes available across the creative industries.
We encourage teachers, industry professionals and partners to share these films with their networks, whether through newsletters, social media, or conversations with young people and their families.
Helping more families understand the opportunities available in the creative industries is a vital step in supporting the next generation of talent.
Find out more about Discover! Creative Careers here.
Find out more about the National Theatre Skills Centre here.
The only programme of its kind in the UK, our courses are designed for those with an interest in developing their performance skills and engagement with live theatre.
Initially a week-long acting summer school based in London, the Academy has grown over its 16 years to encompass a range of disciplines and locations. New Earth Academy plays a key role in addressing the under representation of ESEA artists on UK stages and screens as well as behind the scenes by providing a safe and supportive environment to gain access to professional training, develop new skills, join creative networks and engage with industry professionals.
In 2026 our courses will take place in London, Manchester, Liverpool and York and include training in Performing, Theatre Making and Producing and Playwriting. Please click on the links below for more information about each individual course.
If you have any questions about the programme, please read the FAQ below. If you require the documents to be in a different format or need any adjustments made in order to apply, please get in touch with us by emailing academy@newearththeatre.org.uk
New Earth Academy is delivered in partnership with The Lowry, our Strategic Partner, and Factory International/Aviva Studios, alongside HOME, the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and York Theatre Royal. The programme is further supported by Horizons Collective, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire of Acting, Birmingham Hippodrome and Arts Council England.
There are a range of opportunities taking place across the UK listed below. Please head to the opportunity link to sign-up to the respective events.
New Earth Theatre Makers Academy - Greater Manchester - Monday 29 June – Friday 3 July
New Earth Theatre Makers Academy - York - Monday 6th July – Friday 10 July
Performing Shakespeare Academy - Monday 27th – Friday 31st July
Performers Academy - London - Monday 14th to Friday 18th July
Performers Academy Plus - London - Monday 20th July – Friday 24th July and Monday 27th – Friday 31st July
Theatre Makers Academy Plus - Greater Manchester and the North West
September 2025 to February 2026
Key Dates: (Applicants must be available to attend all below dates)
Weekend Residential 20th & 21st September 2025 at HOME
Masterclass 1 - Mon 20th October
Masterclass 2 - Mon 10th November
Masterclass 3 - Mon 8th December
Masterclass 4 - Weds 14th Jan
New Earth Academy Programmes in Salford & Greater Manchester are supported by Lowry, HOME and Factory International.
Emma Rice Company Training Programme is offering a unique opportunity for theatre makers aged 18+. The theatre maker taster is a free, day-long workshop.
In this practical workshop members of our Malory Towers show team will introduce participants to the Emma Rice Company method. You will play games, learn songs and devise. You will experience first-hand how Emma Rice Company builds an ensemble and creates their critically acclaimed shows.
Actors, singers, musicians, dancers, directors, acrobats, clowns, and theatre-makers are all invited to apply. You don’t need loads of experience, but you do need to be a confident performer.
The Emma Rice Company is one of the UK’s leading ensemble theatre companies, and our performing ensemble is a vital, professional and playful part of the family. Our Training Programme runs workshops and courses to inspire the next generation of theatre makers.
At Emma Rice Company, we actively encourage people from a variety of backgrounds with different experiences, skills, and stories to join us and influence our work. We know that people who are D/deaf disabled or neurodiverse, from the global majority and / or from a lower socio-economic background are under-represented in the theatre industry. Therefore, if someone identifies as having one or multiple of these protected characteristics, we are particularly interested in meeting them.
Please note as Emma Rice Company offers this workshop around the country, preference will be given to local artists. We consider our taster as being an ideal way to connect with regional artists that we wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to meet.
Dates & Venues
Friday 8th May - Theatre Royal Bath
Friday 15th May - Belgrade Theatre
Wednesday 20th May - Brighton Festival
Friday 29th May - Leeds Playhouse
Friday 12th June - Manchester Home
Wednesday 17th June - Liverpool Playhouse
Friday 17th July - Yvonne Arnaud
Thursday 30th July - Alexandra Palace
Theatre Royal Bath - 10th April
Belgrade Theatre - 10th April
Brighton Festival - 10th April
Leeds Playhouse - 16th May
Manchester Home - 30th April
Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse - 5th May
Yvonne Arnaud - 4th June
Alexandra Palace - 17th June
Work experience offers practical, hands-on insight into the theatre industry, helping you build skills, confidence, and a clearer understanding of different career pathways. It’s an ideal first step when exploring a future in theatre. As an initial step, we recommend getting in contact with your local theatre to see if they offer any work experience opportunities.
While many people associate theatre careers with performing, there are a huge number of offstage roles that make productions possible. From stage management and lighting to marketing, producing, costume, sound, and technical theatre, work experience allows you to explore these departments and discover which areas interest you most. Taking part in work experience placements can provide a range of valuable benefits, including:
Understanding How Theatres Work:
Working within a theatre environment allows you to see how different departments collaborate to bring a production to life. This perspective is incredibly valuable if you're considering a career in the sector.
Developing Practical Theatre Skills:
Work experience often gives you the chance to assist with real tasks, whether that’s supporting technical teams, observing rehearsals, helping front-of-house teams, or working with marketing and administration departments.
Building Confidence and Professional Skills:
Being part of a professional environment helps you develop communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills that are essential across the creative industries.
Making Connections in the Theatre Industry:
The theatre industry is highly collaborative. Work experience placements can introduce you to professionals working in the field and help you begin building a network within the industry.
Strengthening Future Applications:
Whether you're applying for drama school, university courses, apprenticeships, or entry-level roles, work experience demonstrates enthusiasm, initiative, and commitment to the sector.
Many theatres and arts organisations across the UK offer work experience placements, shadowing opportunities, and youth programmes. Availability and application processes vary, but the following organisations regularly provide opportunities for young people interested in theatre careers:
London
South of England
Midlands
North of England
North of England
Wales
Scotland
Northern Ireland
You may also want to check the websites of theatres local to you, as many venues offer placements throughout the year or during school holidays.
Work experience is one of the most valuable ways to begin exploring opportunities in theatre. It provides a clearer understanding of how productions are created and how different departments work together behind the scenes.
Whether your interests lie in technical theatre, production, stage management, marketing, or theatre administration, gaining offstage experience is an excellent way to start your journey in the industry.
